The theme for this year’s Beyond Bubbie’s Kitchen is global Jewish food. We asked participating chefs to share the inspiration for their dishes ahead of the event. Here are some of their answers!

Annabel Rabbiyah, Awafi Kitchen
Dish: Zangula

“We will be serving zangula: Iraqi mini funnel cakes soaked in sweet syrup infused with rose water and cardamom. Also known as zalabia or jalebi, zangula is a common celebratory treat across West Asian and South Asian culture. Back in Baghdad, our family always ate zangula on Purim, along with a variety of other pastries and fried treats. In Iraq, Purim was the biggest Jewish celebration of the year, a time for visiting friends and family, playing cards and, of course, eating delicious food. We are excited to celebrate an early Purim with you, Iraqi style.”

Noah Clickstein, Peregrine
Dish: Catalan lamb stew

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“Diaspora. Sometimes fast. Sometimes slow. But a constant with the Jewish people. Exiled from their homes and forced to wander until another place can be found. With all this dispersion it can be hard to find any other constant other than a weary sadness that follows you. That’s why I searched hard to find a way to connect a people who have been pushed out, constantly forced to adapt, for ages. To me this is soup. Soup is a constant. Seen in every food culture around the world. It is the foundation of economical cuisine. Diaspora breeds economy. And economy doesn’t need to sacrifice flavor and fulfillment. What could be easier than a warm, filling, restorative broth? All you need to bring with you is just a large pot. This dish has taken influence from the Sephardic influences I have grown up with, been taught, and have seen. Imagine a thousand-year journey from the spices-filled lands of the Middle East. Through north Africa and up into Spain. Finally settling in the last place they could find. An island in the middle of the Mediterranean: Sardinia. Clearly the map was left behind for the sake of the cooking pot. You will find flavor and ingredients of some great stews found along this journey. From the funky pop of dried lime to the filling richness of chickpeas. This is a journey in a bowl.”

Alex Khitrick, Inna’s Kitchen
Dish: Uzbek plov with lamb

“Inna’s father, Zinovi, was a Jewish refugee in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 1941 when he was a teenager. While in Tashkent, he learned how to make real traditional plov and continued making it all his life. He was the one who encouraged Inna to cook when others told her a professional kitchen is a place for men and not for a tiny girl who wouldn’t be able to lift the heavy pots. The business logo is in Dieda Zyama’s honor; it is based on a simple one-line doodle that he taught Inna how to draw. Plov is a central part of Bukharian Jewish cuisine.”

Avi Shemtov, The Chubby Chickpea and Simcha
Dishes: Chickpea fritters with pimento labneh (The Chubby Chickpea)
Jachnun with green zhong and huevos haminados (Simcha)

“For the chickpeas dish I was inspired by a trip I took to Richmond, Virginia, where I ate shrimp crackers dipped in pimento cheese. For the chickpea, it made sense to use our puffy chickpea fries instead, and to make our cheese from labne. For the Simcha dish, I was inspired by a night out in Tel Aviv where my cousin Amit took my wife and I to a small shop for jachnun. It was like a Domino’s Pizza, but with jachnun. So dope.”

Come join us this Sunday, March 1, to experience these dishes and connect with these inspired chefs yourself! Find tickets and more information here.

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